Melting Ice
by 7Annabelle43
Summary: <html><head></head>I must have ice in my veins to do what I just did. I expect the ice to melt...But it doesn't. It just gets colder and colder...until I meet them.</html>
1. Prologue

Prologue

"The housefolk cub wants us. Not you. And you know what happens to unwanted kittens? They get thrown in the river." said Rose with a smirk.

Tiny's eyes widen with fear as the she-cat pad away.

_Next day-_

The cat runs away from his housefolk house through the hole in the fence.

_"I won't get thrown into the river." _Tiny vowed, heading to the forest._  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Moons later-<em>

Jake was watching the raising sun before he saw a small black cat with a white forepaw and a collar studded with..._teeth!?_ walking past by his fence.

"Tiny!? Tiny is that you!?" The orange cat called out as he jumped down the fence. The cat only flinched once before walking on. Jake ran in front of the said cat, forcing him to stop.

"You're Tiny right? Quince talked a lot about you. You really are small."

_Who is he? How does he know? Hasn't he heard of me as Scourge?_

"Y-yes. W-who are you?" _Did I just told him the truth?_

"Oh right, I never visit any of my kits, do I?"

_Kits? Does he mean..._

"I am your father, Tiny. I should've spend time with you, Ruby, and Socks..."

The cat in front of Scourge twitched his ears before continuing.

"Would you like to come with me?"

* * *

><p>Why in the bloody world did he follow Jake-Dad-Jake. Ack. Perhaps it was shock? Scourge hissed in dismay. He can't be weak. He mustn't.<p>

"We're going to visit Nugmeg, my other mate."

_What!?_

"If you have Mom, then why do you have another mate?"

Jake looked at him. "Have you ever love somebody? Have you ever love two she-cats so equally that you can't choose one without the other?"

Scourge looked away. "No. I have yet to fall for a she-cat."

His father twitch his whiskers.

"Well, come on, you get to meet your younger siblings."

_Siblings?_

* * *

><p>"Nutmeg" "Jake." A brown and white tabby cat smiled as her mate came over. Jake looked over his five kits.<p>

"They're beautiful," he purred, rubbing his mate. Nutmeg rubbed back before opening one eye to see Scourge, his collar alarming her.

"Who is he?" she hissed.

"Don't worry, he's with me."

"What are you talking about?! Do you see that collar he's wearing?! He's that cat in the alley!"

"And he's my son, Tiny."

Nutmeg was about to object again when she stare into Jake's pale green eyes.

"Alright. He can come over as long as he doesn't hurt any of them."

Scourge sees a nod from the cat next to his dad before she motions him to come up.

He padded to the kits, taking a good look. One was orange tom like Jake, another a light brown tabby she-cat with white paws and chest, a tom with fur like the cat next to Jake, a light-brown she-cat and a reddish tom.

"This is Rusty, Princess, Stripes, Socks and Red." Nutmeg introduces, pointing to each. "And I'm Nutmeg."

Scourge nodded, showing he heard her, but didn't turn his awed gaze from the kits.

The orange one rolled off the nest and landed right between Scourge's paws.

Nutmeg watch carefully as he hesitated a bit then putting the kit back to his siblings with his mouth. He watch Rusty as the tom snuggled a bit with his sisters and brothers.

Jake's stomach suddenly growled. His warm look immediately became embarrassed as the other look at him, stifling laughs.

"Okay, okay, I'm hungry and I need to go back to my housefolk. Tiny, it's time to go."

Nutmeg nodded, knowing how worried his housefollk could get when he was gone. Scourge sat there, reluctant to leave.

"You can come back and visit us later, Tiny," Nutmeg said gently. After observing Tiny having such a warm gaze on her kits, she decided to trust him a bit. "And Jake, you're going to have flies in your mouth."

Jake quickly closed his mouth.

Scourge nodded to her gratefully, padded to his father, looked back once, before leaving.

Nutmeg sighed with relieve, thinking about her encounter with Scourge, the leader of Bloodclan and a cold-blooded cat who kills out of joy.

* * *

><p>Scourge walked back with Jake to his house. "Well, see you next time Tiny," He said smiling, jumping off the fence.<p>

The cat waited there for a while, then jumped off to his clan.

* * *

><p>Well, that's a start.<p> 


	2. Five Month Sequence

Five Months Sequence

Scourge started visiting his family once a week, leaving Bone in charge of Bloodclan. The kits, particular Rusty and Red, are always happy to see him each night, batting his tail, climbing on him, even pouncing him. Scourge always made extra care to not hurt them by his collar. Quince would have a distrustful look on, which lessen by the weeks. Over time, the kits got too heavy for him.

_One Month_

The small orange cat padded around the greenery fill with grass, bushes, and trees everywhere. Rusty happily roll around the grass, poke around the bushes and tried to claw up a tree. Really, he tried, but his legs were too weak to hang on and his kit claws too small. He resumes poking the bushes. A mouse runs out of a bush.

Rusty immediately pounced, later hissing in dismay as he landed awkwardly, the mouse already long gone. He shook his head. An amused purr came out of nowhere. Rusty turned his head to a cat with a red fox-like fur. "Who are you?"

"A wild cat." Rusty almost gap at the obvious answer.

"Do you want to catch a mouse?" He nodded. The tom turned his head to another mouse. "Watch," he whispered. Rusty observed carefully, noting his still tail, the forepaws padding low and quietly in the grass, ears alert, and the stomach bushing against the ground. The cat soon pounced, giving a swift bit in the neck.

"Your turn." He pointed to another mouse nearby. Rusty copied him perfectly, almost perfectly as he accidentally stepped on a old leaf. The mouse ran off. Rusty slapped his tail on the ground, hissing in frustration.

"Observe your surroundings." Rusty nodded, suddenly thinking why was he listening to everything the older one said. That was really odd. He spotted the next mouse. Rusty did the hunting...what is it called?...and listened and watched carefully as he sneaked closer. He pounced, this time catching a mouse. He purred, turning to his mentor with pride. The fox-cat smiled.

"It's time to wake up, Rusty." Suddenly, everything burred. The kit dropped his prey. "Wait! What is your name?"

The burred red-white form tilted his head a bit. "Fox, my name is Fox, little fiery one." Then black.

_Two Months_

A black and white tom with two mice watch his surroundings cautiously, making sure no rogues are here to see going home. He padded to his shelter, dropping the prey inside.

"Violet, I'm back. Violet?"

"So you've been living with your sister, huh, Barley? I thought the extra mouse for Scourge is too much to be true," said another black and white, muscular tom, smirking as he keep his paw on a pale, orange she-cat.

"Bone, get off my sister!" Barley yowled as he tackled Bone, only to be clawed away by the bigger tom's free paw.

"Now, you two should come with me or-" he unsheathes his claws "-your precious sister dies. I taking you to Scourge for punishment."

"Whom are you taking to me, Bone?" Scourge stood right at the entrance. Bone ginned while Barley and Violet stare in despair, thinking they could not get away without punishment.

"These two broke your rule by living together. What are their punishment?"

Scourge only look at them, but instead of the usually cold look, it was strangely different. It was a cold with a hidden warmth.

Minutes later-

"Go" The two siblings stare at each other, then turned back to their leader.

"Your just-"

"GO." Scourge gave them a hard look, making them leave the border of Bloodclan. Violet turn her body a bit to give him a nod of thanks before leaving with her brother behind her.

_Three Months_

A white she-cat fled as fast as she could from a golden tom in the twoleg place. "Hey, Lovellllllllly! Why are you running?!"

The forest cat simply keep running and turning until she was trapped in an alley. She panted, scared as the tom reached her. "Why did you run? We were going to have fuuunnnnnnnn."

She didn't answer. The tom loomed her, his fur slightly parted in one area. He grinned crazily, padding slowly closer to her until he was standing right above her. The alley cat started to lower himself when he was suddenly pulled off her. A small black tom with a torn ear and a white, right paw dragged the bigger cat away from her.

Scourge dropped the golden tom at the entrance of the alley. "Why you?! How dare you disrupt us!" The tom attacked him, not noting about how such a small cat had dragged him. The leader of Bloodclan counterattacked, slashing mercilessly at the other male's neck. The tom fell, dead. Scourge turned to the she-cat. "You alright?" The cat's blue eyes stared at him, then fled again, this time from the tom coated in blood.

Scourge watched the fleeing form until it disappeared. He then stared at the corpse, hesitantly pulling out one of its teeth.

_Four Months _

"Tiny, Tiny! Look! We got collars." said Red, showing off his own green collar. Scourge sudden froze, remembering the time between when he got his collar and the day he left home. His thoughts broke when a kit jumped on him.

"Hi Tiny," said Rusty with a blue collar, waving his tail.

"Hey, so you're going to be on your own soon."

"Huh? What do you mean?" the tom asked, his head cocked and eyes wide.

"It means you are going to get your own housefolk house."

"My own?!" By then, all five kits surround him, listening attentively.

"Yes, your own." Mom!" "Housefolk kits will choose one of you-"

Scourge blanked out as bad memories came back to him.

"Tiny? Tiny!"

"Huh?" Scourge blinked out of his memories, seeing Quince's worried face in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing's wrong." Scourge left early that day.

The next day, Quince told her kits to act cute.

_Five Months_

Scourge looked down his alley, as his cats hunted for food, teaching their kits, and battle-fighting each other. It was the usually everyday Bloodclan life. Dark clouds started to form, making cats return to their nests. He stayed in his shelter watching the rain with his guards until one of them lead two cats to him, more specifically, two siblings.

His eyes widen in surprise. _"Socks! Ruby!" _He almost called out, before his face returned to its icy look. "Who are they?"

"They claim to be your siblings."

"T-tiny?"

"Ruby? Socks?" His eyes soften for a second. His brother explain that their housefolk threw them out in the streets and that they're hungry and tired. Scourge thought for while, remember all the times he spend with them, not one of them a good memory. He inwardly clench his teeth in anger. How dare they. He pushed a box of chicken to them.

"Eat, then leave." Both of them widen their eyes.

"But... but Scourge...! We're your littermates! Doesn't blood mean anything?" asked Ruby, pleading.

"Blood. Since when did you care about blood anyway." _"When did you care about family?"_ He was about to say something else, but he needed to show his group the him they know.

"Besides, the only blood I care about is blood from my enemies. Look around you. These cats are ready to spill blood at anytime."

Ruby and Socks did, seeing the cats' unsheathed claws and bloodthirsty looks. They glance at him worryingly, then taking his offer, ate from from the box and left, lead by Bone and Brick.

* * *

><p>Finally, I am done!<p> 


	3. Sixth Month

Sixth Month

Scourge looked to the full moon, wondering what he should do. After the constant visiting for his second family, he was having second thoughts about about making his group. He shouldn't have made the rules, dividing families up and making the kits unable to care for themselves. Maybe he shouldn't make the cats respect him in such an awful way.

"Tiny."

"D-dad? What are you doing here? No, how did you get in here?"

Jake almost rolled his eyes. "I'm always sneaking around, especially here."

Scourge gaped. _He _always snuck in Bloodclan territory? Come to think of it, his patrols always reported an unknown same scent around the borders, leading and disappearing somewhere inside the area.

The bigger cat look amused. "I need to talk to you, but not here. Okay?"

The black one nodded. "Me too."

* * *

><p>Scourge told Jake what happened to him between his siblings, why he left the housefolk, how he rose in the alleys and why he made Bloodclan. The small cat stared at the floor, waiting, not knowing what to expect.<p>

"I've always hoped to meet you. When I visited your mom, around the time when you, Socks and Ruby should be taken to other housefolk, you weren't there. She said you went missing a week ago. She worried over you, not knowing what happened. Quince thought you died."

_"Mom.."_

"I remember Quince saying that you explored the forest once. She could smell the forest stink on you."

_"She believed me."_

"Where does Mom live?"

"She moved somewhere...far from here a month after you disappeared." Jake looked down at Scourge, who looked guilty.

_"I never got to say how sorry I am."_

"You know, I already knew you are Scourge, founder and leader of Bloodclan. Quince said you were small, smaller than normal kits and you have one white paw. She told me how Ruby and Socks bullied you and how happy you were when you came back from the forest."

"She said everything about me?"

"Yes, and I'm sure she doesn't want any of her kits doing things like this. She never liked forest and alley cats, always thought they're all bad cats, when really she's just scared to know more about them."

Jake chuckled.

"I have two good friends from there, Talltail and Bluefur. Bluefur taught me about the clan a little, she called it Thunderclan, and I wanted to know more. So I keep visiting the forest. I also got confused about if I want to stay a house cat or a forest cat. Then I meet Talltail, he saved me from dogs and helped me with where I belong. Your mom meet him once and thought he was taking me away from Twoleg life."

Jake sighed at the memory.

"Dad? What should I do?."

"About what?"

"Earlier, I was thinking how horrible I've been, separating kits from their mothers, none allowed to live together...I'm pretty sure the alleys were a better place before I made those rules out of fear and demanding respect."

Jake smiled. "I'm sure you will make a good choice."

* * *

><p>"Scourge! You're back! Now what should we do with this rule breaker?" called out a pale, patterned tom holding down a gray she-cat.<p>

"Let her go."

The cat crocked his head. "What?"

"I said. LET. HER. GO."

The tom stared at him, shocked as the cat he was holding earlier had pushed his paw off and sprinted away.

Scourge let his own paw shock out, forcing the cat back to the world. "Call all cats to my alley for a meeting."

* * *

><p>Scourge looked down his alley, full of Bloodclan cats talking, some wearing toothed collars and some wearing nothing. All from different families, <em>families<em> he tore apart. He took a deep breath.

"Attention everyone! I'm calling a meeting here!"

The cats stopped talking, looking at him expectantly.

"I am disbanding Bloodclan!"

Some cats, especially the cats who came to him to join his guards, chorused angrily. Only Bone and Brick did not and every other cats have happy faces.

"Why Scourge?!"

"I don't wish to continue this tearing. This ripping apart families. I did it out of fear. I'm sure some of you remember I wasn't like this, when I didn't make those rules. I did this because when those rogues from the forest came here, they insulted me. I thought I should be respected from every cat, that is why I created Bloodclan. But now I realized that all this isn't worth it. And this clan, this clan isn't worth staying as a group if it is only used for fear. That is why I am disbanding Bloodclan." Their leader stared down at them. Suddenly he out his paw through his collar and unlike months ago when he struggled to get it off, he tore it off. "Bloodclan is of no longer!"

Scourge jumped down the dumpster. As he walked down his alley, all the cats backed away from him, his own guards hissing a him as he left his group forever.

* * *

><p><strong>Guess I kind of made if similar to how Pinestar left.<strong>


	4. One Last Time

One Last Time 

Scourge, or Tiny, bumped into his father.

"Hello Tiny, I heard what you did last night. You okay?"

"Yeah I feel fine."

The two sat in silence, Tiny thinking and Jake shuffling his paws.

"Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Can we go to Nutmeg's house?"

"Okay."

* * *

><p>"Hey Tiny? Why do you want to go to Nutmeg's place?" asked Jake, sitting on the fence.<p>

"Because I need to talk about a mother's point of view." Tiny leap off, not waiting for the orange tom's answer.

The small cat jumped though the flapdoor and called out. "Nutmeg?!"

"Hi, Tiny, how are you?"

"Hello. Uh..."

"Tiny? Whats wrong?"

Tiny took a deep breath. He started to explaining to Nutmeg about his life. He was half-way though when the she-cat stopped him.

"Tiny, I already know that you're Scourge."

"Oh, uh yesterday, I disbanded Bloodclan and I just want to hear a mother's point of view about this..."

"Mmm...I definitely won't want any of my kits making such a clan and based on your past, I would regret not caring for my kit more..."

_"Regret..."_

"And I might think how to bring the kit back to my housefolk. But even if I think about it, I won't be able to do anything based on how your group is. I probably be chased away."

_"Ah.."_

"But since you disbanded the clan, I would be glad to know that you decided to come back...Tiny? You okay?" The kit-sized cat was staring at the floor, his icy-blue eyes dim.

"I'm fine. I happy to know how my mom would think, but...just that I wish my mom is still here. I wish she'd be grooming my coat and be talking about Dad right now."

"Did you say you wanted to be groomed?"

"Yeah, why?" Tiny asked. Seeing Nutmeg's glinting eyes made him regret talking about his mom. He screeched.

* * *

><p>Jake jumped through the flapdoor. "Tiny?! What's wrong? Nutmeg? Where's Tiny?"<p>

His mate turned her head, Tiny in her mouth curled up and his fur sleek. There was even something transparently white coming from his mouth.

"H i Ak, m don an ing s r."-Oh, hi Jake, I'm done cleaning his fur.

Jake stared in shock. "Wha?"

* * *

><p>An old gray cat was sitting in a clearing, watching the stars. A tortoiseshell pads up to her. Bluestar dips her head.<p>

"How is Mousefur?"

"Her wounds are deep, Bluestar, but she is young and strong. She will heal quickly," replied Spottedleaf, settling herself next to her leader.

"And the others?"

"They will all recover too."

The gray cat sighed. "We are lucky not to lost any of our warriors this time. You are a gifted medicine cat, Spottedleaf." She turned her head back to the Silverpelt.

"I am deeply troubled by tonight's defeat. Thunderclan has not been beaten in its own territory since I became leader. These are difficult times for our clan. The season of newleaf is late and there have been fewer kits. Thunderclan needs more warriors if it is to survive."

"But the year is only beginning. There will be more kits when greenleaf comes."

"Perhaps. But training our young to warriors takes time. If Thunderclan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon a possible."

"Are you asking Starclan for answers?" asked Spottedleaf, following Bluestar's gaze.

"It is at times like this we need the words of our ancestors to help us. Has Starclan spoken to you yet?"

"Not for some moons, Bluestar."

A shooting star shot across the sky, Spottedleaf's fur bristled. Her leader waited as the medicine cat had a distant gaze for a few moments before looking down.

"Fire alone can save our clan, but it must first help the frozen night."

"Fire? But fire is feared by all clans! How can it save us? And what about the night?"

The tortoiseshell shook her head. "I do not know, but this is the message Starclan has chosen to share with me."

"You have never been wrong before, Spottedleaf. If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. Fire will save our clan and if the night comes, we will welcome it. "

* * *

><p><strong>Just gave out the names.<strong>


	5. The Forest Again

The Forest Again

Tiny was walking on the fence at night when he heard Rusty and his friend, Smudge, talking, not too far away. The black cat hid himself near the fence.

"You're not going into the woods, are you?

"Just for a look."

"You won't get me in there. It's dangerous! Henry said he went into the woods once."

"That fat old tabby never went into the woods! He's hardly been beyond his own garden since his trip to the vet. All he wants to do is to eat and sleep."

"No, really. He caught a robin there."

"Well, if he did, that was before the vet. Now he _complains_ about birds because they disturb his dozing."

"Well, anyway, Henry told me there are all sorts of dangerous animals out there. Huge wildcats who eat live rabbits for breakfast and sharpen their claws on old bones!"

"I'm only going for a look around. I won't stay long."

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Tiny can hear the black and white cat jump off clumsily. He peeked out at Rusty, who seem nervous and scared, was padding out to the forest. Something inside him screamed to stop his brother from going, but a part of him also didn't want to control someone again. Tiny decided to follow the orange tom. He climbed up a tree and started to jump from branch to branch.

He watched as Rusty dropped to a hunting crouch, surprised. Where in the world did he know how to hunt? The tom put his pads forward carefully, getting closer to a mouse. Tiny suddenly scented a group of cats. A blue-gray she-cat, a golden yellow tom and a bit away, a gray cat with a dark stripe down his back about Rusty's size. Wait, there was another scent. He saw an oddly fox-like tom, who suddenly looked and smelled just like a fox.

The sudden change of the creature's size made a loud group of cracking twigs and crunching leaves. Rusty instantly sat up, his bell ringing and alarmed. He noticed the red white-tipped tail and creep to it.

_"No! Rusty! What are you doing?!"_

The young gray cat shot forward, making a lot of noises. Rusty flicked his ears to it but continued concentrating on the tail.

_"You mouse-brain!"_

The cat slammed its paws on Rusty, causing him to be thrown sideways. The other one immediately launched onto his brother's back, making him squirm under the weight. Tiny was about to step in when Rusty froze then flipped on his back, trapping the attacker. He thrashed free and and ran to the housefolk nests, Tiny following above.

Rusty skidded to a stop, turned and faced the other cat. The kittens crashed, knocking both of them out. Rusty regained his footing and waited. The other cat sat up, licked his forepaw and started talking. Tiny could not hear the conservation from so far up. However, he could see his brother questioning the cat and the cat answering. Then two scents wafted up to his nose.

The blue cat and yellow tom was about to step in when they scented it too. A small black cat with a white tipped tail padded into the clearing with a large, muscular, scared, brown tabby following behind.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the large cat purred.

Tiny would never forget that voice, even though deeper in tone, and pelt.

_"Tigerpaw."_


	6. Meeting

**You have to remember that Scourge doesn't know Tigerclaw is his new name, only the name when they meet once.**

* * *

><p><span>Meeting<span>

"Ravenpaw, you know what to with intruders, right?" asked Tigerpaw. The small cat nodded, shaking.

"Y-you're s-suppose to teach them a lesson." Tiny can hear them talking now he is on a lower branch. He glanced at the gray cat next to Rusty, who was shaking and whispered something to the cat next to him. The orange kitten widen his eyes and began to back away.

"Then teach the kittypet now." Ravenpaw took a running start and jumped, right on Rusty's back. The housecat rolled to his back like he did to the other kitten, making the black kitten let go and grasp for breath. Rusty got off and looked back at the much bigger tom, wary.

Tigerpaw growled. "Weakling, I'll show you how to teach a kittypet." He padded up to his younger brother, making him shook with fear. The huge tom was about to hit Rusty when Tiny snarled. The forest cat only had the chance to see he was attacked from above. The former Bloodclan leader immediately strached the brown pelt, making the tom screeched. He felt the tom rolling, forcing to him jump off.

* * *

><p>Tigerclaw rolled, feeling the cat jump off. He jumped and faced his enemy, making him gap. It was a small black cat which looked about eight moons old with one white paw, icy blue eyes and a scar on its left ear. Its small claws were dripping with <em>his<em> blood. The mere thought of being beaten by someone smaller than him was unacceptable, as he is a senior warrior of Thunderclan. His back fur bristling, he bared his teeth and pounced.

"Tiny!" yowled the orange kit.

The kit, Tiny, took a step back. _Good. _The tom landed right next to his opponent and grabbed he, or she, by the scuff and was about to shook the cat hard when he felt its small claws poking at his neck. _Mousedung! _Tigerclaw dropped the black kit and was about to swipe it when a yowl stopped him.

"Tigerclaw! Stop!"

His leader stepped out of the bushes with Lionheart.

* * *

><p>"What is going on here?!"<p>

"I was going to teach that kittypet where he belongs, when this _rogue _attacked out of nowhere", hissed the tom in front of him. At the edge of his eye, he could see Rusty crouched with the forest kit. He proceeded to copy as Tigerclaw talked with the familiar gray cat. He didn't see her talking to the two kits and gave Ravenpaw a worried glance.

"Sit up now, all three of you! You too, kittypet, rogue."

Bluestar commented on Rusty's hunting skills and mentioned that she had been watching him.

"R-really?" His little brother stammered.

"Bluestar, this is a _kittypet_. He should not be hunting in Thunderclan territory. Send him home to his Twolegs!" the yellow tom with a tuft of fur on his neck mewed with insistent respect.

"Send me home? But I've only come here for a mouse or two. I'm sure there's enough to go around." Tiny hissed.

Bluestar-_maybe she was Bluefur, dad's friend and the one who saved me? No time to think about this.-_whose head was turned to Lionheart to acknowledge the cat's words, snapped back.

"There's never enough to go around. If you didn't live with such a soft, overfed life, you would know that!"

Tiny stepped in between his kin and Bluestar. The she-cat had her face front of him, with Rusty whimpering behind. "I-i'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it! You threaten our clan when you take our food. You already have enough in your Twoleg nest! You came only for sport when we hunt to survive!"

The whimpering stopped, but Tiny still held his gaze at the angry she-cat and towering toms.

"I had never thought of it that way before. I am truly sorry. I will not hunt here again."

The cat blinked before sitting.

"You are an unusual kittypet, Rusty, and you are an interesting rogue, Tiny."

The gray kitten sighed in relief as Tiny broke his gaze, and stepped back.

"Is survival really hard here?"

Bluestar shared a glance with both warriors before answering. "Our territory only covers part of the forest. We complete with other clan for what we have. And this year late newleaf means prey is scarce."

"Is your clan very big?"

"Big enough. Our territory can support us, but there is no prey left over."

"Are you all warriors, then?"

This time, the golden cat answered. "Some are warriors. Some are too old or too young or too busy caring for kits to hunt."

"And you all live and share prey together?" Rusty asked in awe, with guilt flashing though his eyes.

Bluestar, once again, looked at Lionheart but also Tigerclaw. Lionheart nodded while Tigerclaw scowled hesitantly before nodding.

"Perhaps you should find out these things for yourself. Would you two like to join Thunderclan?"

"But kittypets can't be warriors! They don't have warrior blood!"

The she-cat's eyes dulled. "Warrior blood. Too much have been spilled lately", she said in a low voice. Lionheart continued for her.

"Bluestar is only offering you training, kit. There is no guarantee you will become full warrior. It might prove too difficult for you. After all, you are used to comfortable life, unlike your older brother."

Rusty look hurt and shared a glance with his brother. Tiny gave him an encouraging nod.

"Then why offer me the chance?"

"You are right to question our motives, young one. The fact is, Thunderclan is in need of more warriors."

Lionheart gave him a warning. "Understand that Bluestar does not make this offer lightly. If you wish to train with us, we will have to take you into our clan. You must either live with us and respect our ways, or return to your kittypet life and never return here. You cannot live a paw in each world."

Tiny look at his brother, whose eyes seem excited, also appeared hesitant.

"May I think about your offer?"

Bluestar looked at him then Tiny. "And you?"

"I will go if he goes."

The gray cat was about to say something when one of the toms nudged her. "We've been out here for too long. We have to go back to camp soon. Lionheart will be here tomorrow at sunhigh. Give him your answer then."

She murmur a signal and all five cats disappeared into the bushes.

* * *

><p><strong>Wow, I actually wrote a lot for a non-sequence chapter. Oh, and K changed to T for the battle and especially the later battles.<strong>


	7. Decision

Decision

Tiny woke up and stretched in his temporary shelter, unsheathing and sheathing his claws. He was now far away from what was Bloodclan territory and looking for a home, or not if Rusty choose to go to the forest. The cat looked to the sky, seeing it is almost noon.

Tiny padded to Rusty's house, waiting on the fence. He felt the fence shook slightly, turning his head to his brother's friend.

"H-hi, Tiny," greeted Smudge, shaking on the fence, his fur fluffed out. The said cat only nodded to him. Both waited in permanent silence for Rusty before the black and white cat broke it.

"S-so, how are you?"

"I'm fine."

...

Smudge's attempt to talk to the rogue was meet with silence again. They hear the noise from the flapdoor, ginger fur jumping up to join them.

"Morning Smudge, morning Tiny."

"Morning? It's almost noon. You're sleeping late like Henry now."

"I did go to the forest yesterday.-"

Tiny jumped down and waited for them to stop their conservation, not bothering to listen. After a minute of amazed, surprised and sad persuasive mews, Rusty jumped down.

"I'm going to join them."

* * *

><p>The flame-like cat stiffed around the area, smelling stale scent. "What do you smell, Rusty?"<p>

"Only the scents from Bluestar, Graypaw and the other cats from yesterday."

Tiny shook his head. His brother has a lot to learn. He open his mouth wide, tasting the air, later looking at the bushes with two fresh scents, one from the golden tom from the day before.

"Why do you have your mouth open, brother?"

"Tasting the air, you can catch more scents this way."

"Really?"

"Yes, try it." Rusty open his mouth like Tiny did.

"I smell Lionheart! ...And there's someone with him...," said the kit as two cats walked out of the bushes.

"Well done, little one, you are quick to learn," said Lionheart, a white tom with yellow eyes padding next to him. "This is Whitestorm. One of Thunderclan's senior warriors."

Rusty stiffened while Tiny remained calm but with narrowed eyes.

"Relax, before your fear-scent brings unwanted attention. We are here only to bring the both of you to our camp," said Lionheart, as Whitestorm stiffed the brothers.

"Hello, I've heard so much about you two." Both dipped their heads at Whitestorm.

"Come, we can speak more once we are in the camp."

* * *

><p>After running though most of the forest, with only Rusty struggling to keep up, the four cats walked into camp. Later, Lionheart and Whitestorm showed them around the camp, explaining some of their ways of the clan. Soon, the leader's scent drifted over.<p>

"Here comes Bluestar," mewed Whitstorm, Rusty smelling the air.

"They came," she purred.

"Lionheart was convince they would not."

"Well, what do you think of Rusty and Tiny?"

"Rusty kept up well despite his puny size and kittypet life. Tiny's small size did not hinder him at all, whose hard life helped him a lot."

"So is it agreed?" Both toms nodded.

"Then I shall announce their arrival to the clan." Bluestar leaped up to the biggest boulder in camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting."

Forest cats swamped over to the highrock, waiting for their leader to speak.

"Thunderclan needs more warriors. Never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that Thunderclan will take two outsiders to train as warriors. I have found cats willing to become apprentices of Thunderclan."

"_Lucky_ to become apprentices!" caterwauled a pale tabby, shocking the clan cats.

"Lionheart and Whitestorm have met these cats and they agree with me that we should train them with the other apprentices."

They were met with yowls of questions until the same cat who disrupted Bluestar earlier spoke out clearly.

"Look at one of them! He's a kittypet! Once a kittypet, always a kittypet. This clan needs wildborn warriors to defend it, not a soft mouth to feed."

Tiny hissed and was about to jump on the tom when Whitestorm stopped him, not seeing Lionheart whispering to Rusty, who leap on the tabby after another jeer. The two fought with claws unsheathed. Rusty made a scar at the cat, called Longtail, who then grabbed his collar and with a bit of pulling, tore it off. Bluestar then jumped down, stopping the fight and announced.

"The newcomer has lost his twoleg collar in a battle for his honor. Starclan has spoken its approval. This cat has been released from his twoleg owners, and is free to join Thunderclan as an apprentice."

The she-cat turned to Rusty. "You look like a brand of fire in this sunlight, you have fought well."

"From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Firepaw, in honor of his flame-colored coat." She turned to Tiny and used her tail to beckon him closer. Tiny padded up to her.

"From this day forward, until he has earned his warrior name, this apprentice will be called Nightpaw, in honor of his black coat. Your mentor will be Runningwind. I hope Runningwind passes down all he knows on you."

A light, brown tabby with green eyes padded out of the crowed.

"Runningwind**, **you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from me, and you have shown yourself to be loyal and skilled. You will be the mentor of Nightpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Nightpaw."

Runningwind padded up to Nightpaw and lowered his head down. "You're suppose to touch noses with him," whispered Bluestar, to which he complied.

"Nightpaw! Firepaw! Nightpaw! Firepaw!"

Soon the clan departed and went on like before. Longtail went to the medicine cat's den. Graypaw padded to Firepaw. Nightpaw looked at his mentor. Runningwind has a lean, muscular body, good for hunting and fighting.

"Welcome Nightpaw, to Thunderclan-"

An old cat with small ears suddenly yowled in warning. The whole camp was in alert when a black kit with a white patch of fur on his chest and a white tipped tail crashed in.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm going to skip the parts starting there till Nightpaw gets his warrior name, since we should already know what is going to happen and between. Well, most of it. And it over a thousand words again...okay, guess chapter lengths are going to be random.<strong>


	8. Warrior

**One of you asked why Tiny became an apprentice not a warrior due to his age. That is because when a cat joins a clan, they always become apprentices to learn the clan ways. **

* * *

><p><span>Warrior<span>

"I, Bluestar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warriors anscestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, from this moment you will be known as Nightfrost. Starclan honors your fighting skill and intelligence, we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan."

Bluestar jumped down from the Highrock and rested her muzzle on his head. Nightfrost licked her shoulder.

"Nightfrost! Nightfrost! Nightfrost!"

Nightfrost turned to Firepaw, then Runningwind, pride flowing from his mentor's eyes. Runningwind was a good mentor but he lacked the patience needed in mentors. Luckily, he was a quick learner, learning about the warrior code, clan ways, clan techniques and the territory. Though he already knew most of the techniques somehow already, allowing him to be an apprentice for only one moon.

"Amazing, brother, you're a warrior now!"

Nightfrost nodded, smiled and headed to the camp entrance for his vigil after seeing Firepaw padded to his friends, Ravenpaw and Graypaw.

* * *

><p>The bright, morning mist in forest ended the night. Nightfrost fluffed his fur, warming himself in the sun rays. He felt a soft, warm scent from above, looking up to see Frostfur, a queen of four kits. Nightfrost didn't know the queen was the same cat he saved about four months ago from the golden rogue. Though she got pregnant with the tom, the mother still loved her kits. As a paw, he had visited her and the kits in the queen's den.<p>

Nightfrost smiled and nodded at her. Frostfur returned the smile and purred. "You can talk now, Nightfrost. Your vigil is over."

* * *

><p><em>"H-hi, Nightpaw," greeted a white cat with blue eyes with a bit of fear, "It been a while."<em>

_"Hello...do I know you?"  
><em>

_"Uh, no. But we meet once. Remember the she-cat you saved a couple moons ago?"_

_"She-cat...Oh! You're her!"_

_The cat smiled in relief. "Yes. I'm sorry for running away, but I was scared when I saw you covered in blood."_

_"It's fine, any cat would."_

_"I here to say thank you for saving me from that crazy tom."_

_"You're welcome."_

_"Mom? Mommy?" Nightpaw peeked around Frostfur, seeing a golden brown tom kit._

_"Brackenkit! You suppose to be in bed with your siblings!" scolded the queen._

_"But Mooooommmmmm! I can't sleep!"_

_The white queen ushered her kit back to the queens' den. "Hey, do you have time to share tongues later?"_

* * *

><p>The kit-like tom grinned and reached up a bit as she lower herself to licked her cheek. "Thanks, Frostfur."<p>

He yawned, shaking his head. "You should sleep in the warriors' den, Nightfrost."

Nightfrost nodded a bit and padded to the den, taking at least one stiff at every nest he pasted by. "Morning, Nightfrost. Ready for sleep?" asked the white senior warrior. "Good morning, Whitestorm."

"Your nest is right there, near to Lionheart's nest."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Whitestorm walked out of the den, leaving Nightfrost alone. The tom padded down his nest, making it softer and lay on it. Nightfrost closed his eyes, dreaming of nothing again.


	9. A Prisoner

**Should have done this first one and half paragraphs in the previous chapter. Can't believe I forgot.**

* * *

><p><span>A Prisoner<span>

A moon had passed by peacefully without any conflicts after his warrior ceremony. A moon before that, Ravenpaw, who is Firepaw's friend, had ran into camp with sputtering news before collapsing. Soon after, Tigerclaw padded in with a dark, dappled tortoiseshell tom with a bushy red tail. The cat revealed that Redtail had died in Oakheart's claws, the Riverclan deputy, and that he avenge Thunderclan's deputy by killing him when he was gloating.

The clan shared their last tongues with the previous deputy and sat vigil. Bluestar later appointed Lionheart as deputy and Duskpaw's new mentor is Darkstripe. Since then, Firepaw had been training with Lionheart and Tigerclaw as mentors. In two moons, now Nightfrost was bringing back a squirrel, a thrush and two mice back to camp. He nodded to Mousefur, who was on guard duty, also nodded back.

Nightfrost put his prey on the fresh-kill pile, taking only the squirrel to the nursery. "Hello, Nightfrost, here to see Frostfur again?" asked Goldenflower, who was watching Swiftkit and several other kits playing together. Nightfrost nodded, making the queen purr. He padded to the white queen and nudged her cheek. Frostfur turned her head away from the kits and smiled at him.

With no words, Nigthfrost dropped the squirrel in front of her and she purred in thanks. Frostfur was about to take a bite when Cinderkit and her siblings jumped on him.

"A Riverclan warrior! Attack!"

Nightfrost played along with them. Soon, he dropped on his stomach and rolled on his back.

"Offf! I'm hurt! I give up! You Thunderclan warriors are too much for me!"

He wave his paws in the air in a dramatical manner. Frostfur snickered at him. Her mate looked at her confused.

"But Nightfrost! You were to suppose to play _rougher!"_

"Uhhhhmmmm..."

"Please?! Papa!" begged Brightkit, even giving him the 'kitten' look.

"Yes! Please!" cried Thornkit, coping his sister.

"Errrr..." Cinderkit and Brackenkit, oh Starclan, not him too, joined in.

"...Well..Alright then..."

"Yay!"

"Thistles and thorns!" exclaimed Nigthfrost.

"You know they like playing with you like that", meowed Frostfur, grinning.

"Yes, yes, I know." He turned to his kits. "Well, you want rough?! I'll be rough!"

He pounced at them, making sure they can get away as they squealed, and grabbed Cinderkit. Nightfrost shook her very lightly when he felt his foster kits jumping on him, which had him drop the she-kit. He pretended to struggle and dropped on his side. The kits grinned in triumph, when he suddenly jumped to his feet, causing them to roll off. He started to tickle two of them, one with his paw and the other with his tail, while the other two laughed.

"N-haha-no fair! Haha! You sur-snicker-surprised us!"

Nightfrost grinned. "You asked for it."

He was about to keep playing when Bluestar yowled for a clan meeting. The clan gathered around the Highrock. The black warrior sees Firepaw with a battle-scared, dark gray she-cat with a very stale Shadowclan scent when he opened his mouth. Bluestar announced they have taken the she-cat, Yellowfang, as prisoner. She also talked about Windclan gone from the moors and taken over by Shadowclan, and after the clan wonders if Shadowclan drove them out, she states as a precaution that they will send out larger groups of warriors, stay closer to camp, patrol the boundaries more frequently, and keep kits in the nursery.

Bluestar later announced that she will take Firepaw as an apprentice. This made Nigthfrost growled as Tigerclaw says he is being rewarded, not punished by the breaking the warrior code. Their leader said she with deal with him now and as punishment, Firepaw would have to care for the elderly medicine cat. She ends the meeting and Longtail sneers at his brother.

Nightfrost goes to Firepaw as the she-cat hisses and comments at the apprentice. "Kittypet."

Firepaw signs. "I'm just following Bluestar's orders."

"Are you a kittypet?"

"I used to live with twolegs."

"Are your father and mother kittypets?"

"They are."

The former Shadowclan medicine cat scoffed. "Kittypet blood is not the same as warrior blood. It's humiliating to be fussed over by a kittypet."

His brother snarls. "You would be humiliated no matter who it is. You better get used to it."

Yellowfang wheezed, shocking both Nightfrost and Firepaw, who became concerned.

"I'm sorry! Are you-"

The she-cat coughed a bit before continued laughing.

"You have spirit, kittypet. You should get some goldenrod and poppy seeds."

Firepaw nodded and padded to Spottedleaf's den. Yellowfang turned to Nightfrost with curious eyes.

"Are his sibling?" Nightfrost stood there, surprised.

"Yes, I am his older half-brother."

"Half brother...that explains the similarity and his protectiveness, but the differences are such opposites..." the prisoner muttered, the warrior sitting in front of her. Yellowfang looked up to him.

"What your name?"

"Nightfrost."

Yellowfang's eyes widen. "You are such a small warrior! You wouldn't happen to be less than twelve moons old, are you?"

"No, in fact, I'm only several moons younger than Tigerclaw."

Yellowfang stared at him in shock before muttering. Nightfrost stained his ears to hear her. The cat suddenly snapped her eyes up to him.

"What are you doing? Well! Don't you have anything you as a warrior to do right now?! Shoo! Shoo!"

Nightfrost padded out the area, not wanting anger the cat. Firepaw nodded and walked past him, looking once at Tigerclaw. The tom's eyes narrowed at the apprentice, not noticed by his half-brother.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm starting to use the wikia as a reference now. I've been using the book "Into the Wild" to write the earlier chapters, but not anymore, so you might notice differences.<strong>


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